Rick Perry on 2016: 'I think America is a place that believes in second chances'

'We see more character out of an individual by how do you perform after you fail,' Texas governor says

Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who lost a bid for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, is leaving the door wide open for another run in 2016.

"I think America is a place that believes in second chances," Perry said on Sunday's "Meet the Press" on NBC. "I think that we see more character out of an individual by how do you perform after you fail and you go forward."

Perry, who is serving his final nine months as Texas governor, is scheduled to visit Iowa later this month. It will be his third trip to the state since the last presidential cycle ended.

"I'm going across the country talking about red state versus blue state policies," Perry said. "Hopefully engaged in a good, thoughtful, winsome conversation about how do we make America more competitive, not only domestically, but internationally as well."

Perry finished fifth in the 2012 Iowa caucuses. He suspended his campaign less than three weeks later.

According to a recent Washington Post/ABC News poll, Perry finished tied for seventh with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz among possible GOP presidential contenders, with Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush tied at the top, followed by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio.

According to polling data compiled by Real Clear Politics, Perry sits ninth behind Huckabee, Paul, Bush, Christie, Ryan, Cruz, Rubio and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.

Earlier on "Meet the Press," Perry commented on last week's botched execution in Oklahoma, saying he is "confident that the way that the executions are taken care of in the state of Texas are appropriate."

There are currently 273 people on Death Row in Texas. Perry said his state uses one drug in its executions and that the process is humane.

"I don't know whether it was inhumane or not, but it was botched," Perry said of the Oklahoma execution. "Obviously, something went terribly wrong."

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